Below you will find a link to the 2022-2023/5783 school year calendar. Please note that as things change throughout the year, all programs are tentative and subject to change. We will inform you with any changes if they come come up. Please reach out with any questions.
2022-2023 Religious School Registration Is Open! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students are now eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. Register today by clicking here! Looking for Hebrew Tutoring for the Summer? We have several families who have asked for recommendations for Hebrew tutors for the summer. Here is a contact list of our Hebrew tutors:
It was a delight to see many of you at our celebration last Sunday. For those of you who were unable to be there for various reasons, you were deeply missed. Thank you to our students, teachers, and Madrichim for making it a giant success! I am so incredibly proud of our community for coming together and sharing our accomplishments from this year.
This school year has been an adventure, to say the least. Full of learning, a few challenges, and growing friendships. Life is full of challenges and challenges are full of opportunities to learn. I have kept that thought in the back of my mind for the past several months and it has brought me peace when I needed it most. I hope it can for you as well. As our 5782 school year comes to a close, we begin to get excited about next year! I am currently in the process of finalizing our school calendar for the 5783/2022-2023 school year. My plan is for it to be completed and sent to all of our families by next Friday, June 3rd so be on the lookout for that!
Some highlights that you can expect to see on the calendar:
-Our first and last day of school (sneak peak: our first day is September 11, 2022!) -Our class Shabbatot and family engagement programs for the year -3rd/4th grade Consecration -School-wide holiday programs ...and MUCH MORE!
What is Coming Up?
2022-2023 Religious School Registration Is Open! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students are now eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. Register today by clicking here!
**For those of you who have students who will be in 8th-12th grade next year, be on the lookout for an announcement about registering for Confirmation class with Rabbi Glazer, Madrichim program, and Teen Program for next year. That should be coming out in the next two weeks.
Looking for Hebrew Tutoring for the Summer? We have several families who have asked for recommendations for Hebrew tutors for the summer. Here is a contact list of our Hebrew tutors:
Next Religious School Committee Meeting Date: Tuesday, June 7 at 8:00 PM Please reach out to me if you would like to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting.
I will send out one final email for the summer next Friday that will include important information for next year. Stay tuned! As always, please reach out with any questions. My wishes for continued health and happiness to you all.
Please join us for our End of the Year Celebration, this Sunday May 22nd from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM. Each class (Kindergarten-7th grade) will be presenting something special that they have worked on this year. We will honor our staff and Madrichim, celebrate our 7th grade students, and everyone will enjoy a surprise sweet treat at the end of the morning! Parents, siblings, grandparents and other friends and family are all invited! We are planning for this event to be outdoors so please bring your lawn chairs. In the case of inclement weather, we will move indoors into the sanctuary.
With COVID-19 cases on a moderate rise in our community, we are encouraging all students and parents to wear masks but it is optional outdoors.
What is Coming Up?
2022-2023 Religious School Registration Is Open! Early Bird Ends Sunday! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students are now eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Early bird pricing will be available to all families who complete registration online AND pay a $200 deposit per student by this Sunday, May 22nd. Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. Register today by clicking here!
Sunday, May 22- Teen Social Calendar Planning Meeting & Pizza Lunch 12:00-12:45 PM- FREE event at Adat Reyim All current 7th-11th graders are invited to join Leah Miller, Dan Altman, and Carla Richter for a teen programming meeting where we will brainstorm ideas for events for teen engagement programs. We are looking for teens who will be in 8th-12th grade next year who want to be leaders and help to create fun social programs for our teens next year. Pizza lunch will be provided Please RSVP to Carla at carla.richter@icloud.com by TOMORROW, May 19
Sunday, May 29- Teen Program Baseball Game with Afghan Teens 1:35 PM- Nationals vs. Colorodo Rockies at Nationals Park All current 7th-12th graders invited FREE for registered members of the Teen Program; $36 for all 7th-12th graders Teens can either meet at stadium at 1:35 PM or meet us at the Franconia-Springfield metro stop at 12:00 PM to ride together (kids must pay for metro) We will provide a coupon for food purchases but please bring a debit or credit card for other purchases (Nationals Park is cashless) We will be joined by several Afghan teens and will be getting to know each other during the game. RSVP to Carla at carla.richter@icloud.com by Sunday, May 22nd
Upcoming Schedule:
Wednesday, May 18- Last Wednesday of Religious School- 5:30-7:10 PM Saturday, May 21- Bar Mitzvah of Scott Hill- Mazel Tov, Scott! Sunday, May 22- 10:00 AM End of Year School-wide program and 7th Grade Celebration Ceremony & 12:00 PM- Teen Engagement Planning Meeting and Pizza (All 7th-11th graders)
Next Religious School Committee Meeting Date: Tuesday, June 7 at 8:00 PM Please reach out to Leah if you would like to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting. Please reach out with any questions and I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday morning!
How fast this year has come and gone is incredible. We have come to the end of our school year. I want to send a big THANK YOU to all of our parents for being patient with us this year as we continued to navigate this constantly changing pandemic. Our students have flourished beautifully and I am so pleased with how well everyone has done this year. Also, a large THANK YOU to our staff and Madrichim! Our teachers are the best of the best and we are so grateful to them for their hard work this year.
Each teacher has completed end of the year progress reports for every student in Kindergarten-7th grade. You will receiving those via email next week so please be on the lookout for that.
Lastly, if you have a student in 3rd-6th grade next year, please make sure you fill out this quick questionnaire by TODAY, May 13. Remember, this form is only helping us to gauge interest for our Hebrew program next year and see what everyone's needs are. This is not a permanent decision for anyone whatsoever. Click here for the questionnaire .
Please note: There has been a small uptick in positive COVID-19 cases in our community. Please, if your child has any COVID-19 symptoms (runny nose, cough, fever, etc.), please keep them home and protect our community. If we see symptoms develop while at school, we will contact you to come and pick up your child. Masks will continue to be optional for all outdoor programming, but encouraged and will continue to be required indoors throughout the rest of the school year. What is Coming Up?
2022-2023 Religious School Registration Is Now Open! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students are now eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Early bird pricing will be available to all families who complete registration online AND pay a $200 deposit per student by May 22nd. Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. Register today by clicking here!
Sunday, May 22- End of Year Celebration and 7th Grade Celebration 10:00-12:00 PM- Please join us for this fun morning as we celebrate the end of the year as a school community! Each class will be presenting something that they have worked on this year. We will honor our staff and Madrichim, celebrate our 7th grade students, and enjoy a sweet treat at the end of the morning! We are planning for this event to be outdoors so please bring your lawn chairs. In the case of inclement weather, we will move indoors into the sanctuary.
Sunday, May 22- Teen Social Calendar Planning Meeting & Pizza Lunch 12:00-12:45 PM- FREE event at Adat Reyim All current 7th-11th graders are invited to join us for a teen programming meeting where we will brainstorm ideas for events for teen engagement programs. We are looking for teens who will be in 8th-12th grade next year who want to be leaders and help to create fun social programs for our teens next year. Pizza lunch will be provided Please RSVP to Carla at carla.richter@icloud.com by Thursday, May 19
Sunday, May 29- Teen Program Baseball Game with Afghan Teens 1:35 PM- Nationals vs. Colorodo Rockies at Nationals Park All current 7th-12th graders invited FREE for registered members of the Teen Program; $36 for all 7th-12th graders Teens can either meet at stadium at 1:35 PM or meet us at the Franconia-Springfield metro stop at 12:00 PM to ride together (kids must pay for metro) We will provide a coupon for food purchases but please bring a debit or credit card for other purchases (Nationals Park is cashless) We will be joined by several Afghan teens and will be getting to know each other during the game. RSVP to Carla at carla.richter@icloud.com by Sunday, May 22nd
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, May 15- Last Sunday of Religious School- 9:00-11:15 AM Wednesday, May 18- Last Wednesday of Religious School- 5:30-7:10 PM Saturday, May 21- Bar Mitzvah of Scott Hill- Mazel Tov, Scott! Sunday, May 22- 10:00 AM End of Year School-wide program and 7th Grade Celebration Ceremony & 12:00 PM- Teen Program Planning Meeting and Pizza (All 7th-11th graders invited- email to come soon!)
Next Religious School Committee Meeting Date: Tuesday, June 7 at 8:00 PM Please reach out to Leah if you would like to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting.
Our religious school family Shabbat service this Friday, May 6 at 6:00 PM will be moving indoors, due to inclement weather. All adults and children 2+ must be masked at all times during the service and anyone 5+ must be fully vaccinated (if you have any questions or concerns about this, please reach out to me ahead of time). We will be serving Challah after the service as well as "oneg-to-go bags" so you can eat and shmooze after the service or if you would feel more comfortable, please feel free to take it with you on your way out.
Each class, including teachers and Madrichim, will be leading 1-2 songs/prayers during the service so please invite your entire family for this wonderful experience of worship together as a school community.
I hope you all had a wonderful Pesach and a happy week! I can't believe that it is almost May and we only have 3 Sundays left before our End of the Year Celebration! The month of May has a lot going on so please be sure to read all communications carefully over the next few weeks. There will a one-off email about our Shabbat service and our End of the Year Celebration. Please don't forget to RSVP for our Religious School Shabbat serivce on May 6 by clicking here!
There has been a small uptick in positive COVID-19 cases in our community. Please, if your child has any COVID-19 symptoms (runny nose, cough, fever, etc.), please keep them home and protect our community. If we see symptoms develop while at school, we will contact you to come and pick up your child. Masks will continue to be optional, but encouraged at all outdoor programming but will continue to be required indoors throughout the school year. What is Coming Up?
Sunday, May 1- 2022-2023 Religious School Registration Opens! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students will be eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Early bird pricing will be available to all families who complete registration online AND pay a $200 deposit per student by May 22nd, our end of the year celebration/7th grade graduation. Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. The link to register will be sent out in an email on Sunday morning!
Friday, May 6- Religious School Family Shabbat Service 6:00 PM- Please join us for this outdoor, special Kabbalat Shabbat service for religious school families only. Parents, grandparents, and siblings are invited! This musical service will be led by Leah Miller and Rabbi Glazer with music by Brad Cheney. Students from each grade will be also be leading prayers and songs during the service. Please make sure to bring your own lawn chairs. RSVP's will be required to attend. This service is in-person only, there will not be a Zoom option. Please register here: https://forms.gle/E81GcTyAcaS89dVFA
Sunday, May 22- End of Year Celebration and 7th Grade Celebration 10:00-12:00 PM- Please save the date for this fun morning as we celebrate the end of the year as a school community! Join us as we honor our staff and Madrichim, celebrate our 7th grade students, watch a special presentation from each class, and many more surprises!
Upcoming Schedule:
Saturday, April 30- Carly Caplan Bat Mitzvah- Mazel Tov Carly!! Sunday, May 1- Religious School 9:00-11:15 AM Friday, May 6- Family Shabbat Service- 6:00 PM Saturday, May 7- Benji Terman Bar Mitzvah- Mazel Tov Benji!! Sunday- May 8- Religious School- 9:00-11:15 AM
Next Religious School Committee Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 3 at 8:00 PM Please reach out to Leah if you would like to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting.
As I mentioned in my correspondence back on March 10, 2022, we have been developing a brand new Hebrew program for the Adat Reyim Religious School. This has been a conversation that we have had for many weeks and months, trying to determine the best ways to create a more effective and accessible Hebrew program for our students. After speaking with teachers, Rabbi Glazer, parents, and members of the religious school committee, we presented them with a plan and to our delight, it was welcomed and praised by all. We truly believe that with this new structure, we are addressing the issues that have come up in the last several years regarding the instructional delivery and effectiveness in which we teach Hebrew at Adat Reyim.
Below, you will see a visual of the changes that we will be putting into place for the 2022-2023 school year:
What is Enhanced Hebrew Learning? Enhanced Hebrew Learning is Congregation Adat Reyim Religious School’s evidenced-based approach to improve the outcomes of Hebrew learners through intentional assessment, placement of students in small groups, targeted skilled instruction, and ongoing functional assessment throughout the school year. Hebrew teachers will provide individualized instruction based on the skill level and experience of each student. Students participating in this approach have demonstrated improvement in Hebrew letter recognition, decoding, and reading critical for participating in Hebrew prayer. Here are a few questions that you may be asking:
Q. Wait, does this mean that we will not know the time and/or day of when our child will have their Hebrew group until the Fall?
A. Yes, that is correct. We will be assessing all of our students in the upcoming 3rd-6th grade classes in the weeks leading up to the first day of school. These assessments will be short but meaningful so that we can properly place each child in the most appropriate group for them. We understand that this may be slightly concerning that you will not know the exact schedule until a few weeks before; however, the beauty of this program is that your Hebrew group time will work around your schedule that is already in place. It will take into consideration extra-curriculars, BMitzvah prep sessions, and any other time-restrictive meetings you may already have scheduled.
Q. Do we get to choose whether we meet in person or on Zoom?
A. Every family with a child in 3rd-6th grade in the 2022-2023 school year will need to answer our short questionnaire, by May 13th, to let us know of your preferences. We will try to accommodate everyone’s requests but we cannot guarantee that each request will be fulfilled. These preferences could be day, time, teacher requests, group member requests, but most importantly whether you would like to be in-person at the synagogue or on Zoom. For example, if a student you request is on a different level than your child, we will not be able to place them in your child’s group. This program is also based on staffing needs. We take the health needs of our teachers seriously and at this time we do have teachers who are either immunocompromised or are not yet comfortable meeting in person yet. Your answers on the questionnaire do not necessarily lock you in on your decision. This can change over the next few months. You can find the questionnaire here: https://forms.gle/ie4HEwszXQLYZ9Nm6Please fill it out by May, 13, 2022.
Q. What days and times of the week could our Hebrew class meet?
A. Our Enhanced Hebrew Learning program is so accessible that it could meet any day or time of the week. For example, if the teacher and the 2-4 families in the group agree that 7:15-7:45 on a Thursday evening at the synagogue or 8:00-8:30 AM on Zoom works best for them, that is when you can meet! After you have been placed in your small groups, the teacher will contact you and together you will choose the best time to meet for the year. If at any point the group decides to change the day and/or time, as long as everyone agrees to the change, you can make that change.
Q. What if there is a holiday (secular or Jewish) that falls on the same day as our Hebrew group?
A. Great question! The group can decide to change days just for that week. It will be up to the group to make that decision in certain circumstances, but the ultimate decision will be made by the Hebrew teacher and Religious Education Director. The Religious Education Director will also supply the school families and staff with a school calendar to base these decisions off of.
Q. As my child advances through the year, will my child need to move groups if they move up in level?
A. No. This program allows for individualized instruction so that no child should need to switch groups throughout the year. This is also why we need to assess students in the Fall and not at the end of the year. It is perfectly normal for students to forget a little of what they learned over the Summer, so we want to place them in groups based on where they are when they come back in the Fall. In these small groups, teachers will also be able to provide attention to each student's specific learning needs. We will continue to assess students throughout the school year as well.
We are so excited to take this next step in our program to help make sure each of our religious school students is successful and has a meaningful and positive Jewish learning experience. We continue to be devoted to making sure that each of our students becomes a competent and successful Hebrew learner. These changes will get us closer to that goal. We are committed to making our Hebrew curriculum more accessible, effective and successful for all our students. We know you will have questions, and we welcome them! The logistics of these changes will continue to develop over the Summer and even into the Fall, so please be patient with us as we navigate this new approach to our Hebrew Curriculum.
With support of our new program from Rabbi Glazer, President Andrea Sobel, and our religious school committee, we hope to get to a place where each of our students at Congregation Adat Reyim becomes a confident Hebrew reader. As always, thank you for your partnership in continuing to create positive Jewish learning experiences for your children.
Warmly, Leah Miller, Religious Education Director Jess Schwab & Steve Adleberg, Religious School Committee Co-chairs
Chag Pesach Sameach to all! We look forward to welcoming all of our students back to religious school this Sunday, April 24. We have a lot of exciting things coming up including: Yom Ha-atzmaut (Israel Independance Day), our school Shabbat service, and preparing for the end of the school year.
As a reminder, beginning this Sunday, masking will be optional outdoors but encouraged, for all outdoor religious school programs, including break. Parents may also begin to send a snack to school on Sundays for students to eat outside only while on their break. Lastly, we will not be requiring you to fill out our daily COVID questionnaire. We ask that you please use careful consideration when sending your child to school on Sunday mornings. If your child has any COVID-19 symptoms (runny nose, cough, fever, etc.), please keep them home and protect our community. If we see symptoms develop while at school, we will contact you to come and pick up your child. What is Coming Up?
Sunday, May 1- 2022-2023 Religious School Registration Opens! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students will be eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Early bird pricing will be available to all families who complete registration online AND pay a $200 deposit per student by May 22nd, our end of the year celebration/7th grade graduation. Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. The link to register will be sent out next week!
Friday, May 6- Religious School Family Shabbat Service 6:00 PM- Please join us for this outdoor, special Kabbalat Shabbat service for religious school families only. Parents, grandparents, and siblings are invited! This musical service will be led by Leah Miller and Rabbi Glazer with music by Brad Cheney. Students from each grade will be also be leading prayers and songs during the service. RSVP's will be required to attend. This service is in-person only, there will not be a Zoom option. Please register here: https://forms.gle/E81GcTyAcaS89dVFA
Sunday, May 22- End of Year Celebration and 7th Grade Graduation Ceremony 10:00-11:30 AM- Please save the date for this fun morning as we celebrate the end of the year as a school community! Join us as we honor our staff and Madrichim, celebrate our 7th grade students, watch a special presentation from each class, and many more surprises!
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, April 24- Religious School- 9:00-11:15 AM Wednesday, April 27- Religious School 5:30-7:10 PM Saturday, April 30- Carly Caplan Bat Mitzvah- Mazel Tov Carly!! Sunday, May 1- Religious School 9:00-11:15 AM Friday, May 6- Family Shabbat Service- 6:00 PM Saturday, May 7- Benji Terman Bar Mitzvah- Mazel Tov Benji!! Sunday- May 8- Religious School- 9:00-11:15 AM
Next Religious School Committee Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 3 at 8:00 PM Please reach out to Leah if you would like to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting.
I hope you all have a wonderful Shabbat and a Chag Pesach Sameach (Happy Passover)!
It was wonderful to see the pictures of so many of you at our Passover family program on Wednesday evening. I hope you all learned a little bit more about the Passover seder and what each part really means. I was sorry to miss it and I want to thank everyone who sent their positive prayers and well wishes to my son Wesley on his surgery on Wednesday. We are home recovering and he is doing well so thank you again to everyone!
As a reminder, beginning April 24th, masking will be optional but encouraged for all outdoor religious school programs, including break. Parents may also begin to send a snack to school on Sundays for students to eat outside only while on their break.
Please remember that we do not have school the following days this month: Sunday, April 17- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Wednesday, April 20- NO SCHOOL (Passover) What is Coming Up?
Sunday, May 1- 2022-2023 Religious School Registration Opens! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students will be eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Early bird pricing will be available to all families who complete registration online AND pay a $200 deposit per student by May 22nd, our end of the year celebration/7th grade graduation. Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. More information to come soon!
Friday, May 6- Religious School Family Shabbat Service 6:00 PM- Please join us for this outdoot, special Kabbalat Shabbat service for religious school families only. Parents, grandparents, and siblings are invited! This musical service will be led by Leah Miller and Rabbi Glazer with music by Brad Cheney. Students from each grade will be also be leading prayers and songs during the service. RSVP's will be required to attend. A link to register will be provided next week. This service is in-person only, there will not be a Zoom option.
Sunday, May 22- End of Year Celebration and 7th Grade Graduation Ceremony 10:00-11:30 AM- Please save the date for this fun morning as we celebrate the end of the year as a school community! Join us as we honor our staff and Madrichim, celebrate our 7th grade students, watch a special presentation from each class, and many more surprises!
Upcoming Schedule: Sunday, April 17- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Wednesday, April 20- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Sunday, April 24- Religious School- 9:00-11:15 AM Wednesday, April 27- Religious School 5:30-7:10 PM
Next Religious School Committee Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 3 at 8:00 PM Please reach out to Leah if you would like to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting.
I hope you all have a wonderful Shabbat and a Chag Pesach Sameach (Happy Passover)!
I hope you all are enjoying your Spring Break! Please remember that we do not have school the following days this month: Sunday, April 10- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 13- Family Passover In-Person Program 5:30 PM @ CAR Sunday, April 17- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Wednesday, April 20- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Sunday, April 24- School Open 9:00-11:15 AM Wednesday, April 27- School Open 5:30-7:10 PM What is Coming Up?
Wednesday, April 13- In-Person Passover RS Family Program (K-7th) On Wednesday, April 13 at 5:30 PM we will be having an in-person, outdoors, Passover RS family engagement program. Students, parents, and siblings are invited! Join us as we experience various parts of the seder through hands-on activities. It is sure to be an evening of fun and celebration for all ages! We are planning for everyone to attend as this is in lieu of school that evening. If you know your family will not be there, please let me know. Please remember, masks are required at all times for everyone 2+, unless you are eating.
Sunday, May 1- 2022-2023 Religious School Registration Opens! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students will be eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Early bird pricing will be available to all families who complete registration online AND pay a $200 deposit per student by May 22nd, our end of the year celebration/7th grade graduation. Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. More information to come soon!
Upcoming Schedule: Sunday, April 10- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 13- Family Passover Program 5:30 PM; NO CLASSES or MINYAN Sunday, April 17- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Wednesday, April 20- NO SCHOOL (Passover)
Next Religious School Committee Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 3 at 8:00 PM Please reach out to Leah if you would like to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting.
See below for more important dates. Please reach out with any questions. Have a wonderful Spring Break and very restful Shabbat.
Get ready for Pesach! Order food from Moti's, and pick it up in the Adat Reyim parking lot. You can pick up Pesach groceries on April 6 at 10 am, and Pesach prepared foods on April 13 at 6 pm. Contact religiouspractices@adatreyim.org if you have any questions. The order form and Passover menu will be in the next ChaiLights.
Religious School Family Shabbat Save the Date
Friday, May 6, 2022 6:00 PM
All religious school families (K-7th grade) are invited to join us for an in-person musical family Shabbat service. More details to come soon!
It's Spring Break! Please remember that we do not have school the following days this month:
Saturday, April 2- Mia Mermelstein Bat Mitzvah- Mazel Tov, Mia!!! Sunday, April 3- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 6- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Sunday, April 10- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 13- Family Passover In-Person Program 5:30 PM @ CAR Sunday, April 17- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Wednesday, April 20- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Sunday, April 24- School Open 9:00-11:15 AM Wednesday, April 27- School Open 5:30-7:10 PM What is Coming Up?
Wednesday, April 13- In-Person Passover Family Program (K-7th) On Wednesday, April 13 from 5:30-6:30 PM we will be having an in-person, Passover family engagement program. Students, parents, and siblings are invited! We are thrilled to welcome our families back to our programs in the religious school! Join us as we experience various parts of the seder through hands-on activities. It is sure to be an evening of fun and celebration for all ages!
Sunday, May 1- 2022-2023 Religious School Registration Opens! All families with incoming Kindergarten-7th grade students will be eligible to register for the 2022-2023/5783 school year! Early bird pricing will be available to all families who complete registration online AND pay a $200 deposit per student by May 22nd, our end of the year celebration/7th grade graduation. Families must also be up-to-date on their current religious school tuition payments to be able to register for next year. More information to come soon!
COVID-19 Protocol Updates Beginning Sunday, April 24, the following COVID-19 safety protocols will go in to effect:
1. We will no longer be requiring the daily health questionnaire. Please use careful consideration when sending your child to school on Sunday mornings. If your child has any COVID-19 symptoms (runny nose, cough, fever, etc.), please keep them home and protect our community. 2. Masking will be optional (but encouraged) for all OUTDOOR religious school programs. This includes: break, shabbat services, family programs, and carpool pick up and drop off. *We have made the decision to continue to stay masked indoors, for the rest of the school year. * 3. We will now allow students, teachers, and Madrichim to bring a snack (nut-free; dairy or pareve) to school to enjoy during break. All snack must be eaten outdoors only.
If you have any questions about the new protocols, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Upcoming Schedule:
Saturday, April 2- Mia Mermelstein Bat Mitzvah! Mazel Tov, Mia! Sunday, April 3- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 6- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Sunday, April 10- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 13- Family Passover Program; NO CLASSES or MINYAN
Next Religious School Committee Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 3 at 8:00 PM Please reach out to Leah if you would like to receive the Zoom link to join the meeting.
See below for more important dates. Please reach out with any questions. Have a wonderful Spring Break and very restful Shabbat.
Get ready for Pesach! Order food from Moti's, and pick it up in the Adat Reyim parking lot. You can pick up Pesach groceries on April 6 at 10 am, and Pesach prepared foods on April 13 at 6 pm. Contact religiouspractices@adatreyim.org if you have any questions. The order form and Passover menu will be in the next ChaiLights.
Religious School Family Shabbat Save the Date
Friday, May 6, 2022 6:00 PM
All religious school families (K-7th grade) are invited to join us for an in-person musical family Shabbat service. More details to come soon!
This Sunday, March 27, is the last Sunday before Spring Break. The school schedule for the next few weeks is as follows:
Sunday, March 27- School Open 9:00-11:15 AM Wednesday, March 30- School Open 5:30-7:10 PM Sunday, April 3- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 6- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Sunday, April 10- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 13- Family Passover In-Person Program 5:30-6:30 PM at CAR Sunday, April 17- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Wednesday, April 20- NO SCHOOL (Passover) Sunday, April 24- School Open 9:00-11:15 AM Wednesday, April 27- School Open 5:30-7:10 PM
This Sunday is also our prospective family open house from 9:00-10:00. Please note, this is an event only for parents and children who are new, incoming students for religious school next year. Please share the flyer below to all of your friends who may be interested in religious school at Adat Reyim. RSVP's are required in advance.
Please also don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. We still have several families who have not signed up yet.There are only five Sundays left! To fulfill your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
What is Coming Up?
-Sunday, March 27- Prospective Family Open House Do you know a prospective family that may be intersted in joining our Adat Reyim Religious School community with a child in Kindergarten-7th grade in Fall 2022? If so, please invite them to our Open House on Sunday, March 27th. Please see the flyer below. RSVP's are require to attend.
-Wednesday, April 13- In-Person Passover Family Program (K-7th) On Wednesday, April 13 from 5:30-6:30 PM we will be having an in-person, Passover family engagement program. Students, parents, and siblings are invited! We are thrilled to welcome our families back to our programs in the religious school! Please save the date for this evening. More details to come soon!
Upcoming Schedule:
Saturday, March 26- Amira Ende-Alonzo Bat Mitzvah! Mazel Tov, Amira! Sunday, March 27- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM); Open House (9:00 AM) Wednesay, March 30- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, April 3- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Wednesday, April 6- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break) Sunday, April 10- NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)
See below for more important dates. Please reach out with any questions. Have a wonderful weekend and very restful Shabbat.
Get ready for Pesach! Order food from Moti's, and pick it up in the Adat Reyim parking lot. You can pick up Pesach groceries on April 6 at 10 am, and Pesach prepared foods on April 13 at 6 pm. Contact religiouspractices@adatreyim.org if you have any questions. The order form and Passover menu will be in the next ChaiLights.
Religious School Family Shabbat Save the Date
Friday, May 6, 2022 6:00 PM
All religious school families (K-7th grade) are invited to join us for an in-person musical family Shabbat service. More details to come soon!
It was wonderful to see everyone in costume this past Sunday and Wednesday evening for Purim! On Sunday morning our students were entertained by a special performance by our actors from the congregational Purim spiel. It was a Dr. Seuss themed spiel; laughs and boos (for Haman) were had by all! We also made matanot l'evyonim (a commandment to give to those who are in need for Purim). We were able to make homeless kits for over 60 homeless individuals in our community. Each student was sent home with a kit to keep in their car so you can give it out when you see someone in need as your are driving. We had an overwhelming amount of donations of toiletries and other products that we donated to ECHO and other homeless shelters in the area. To those of you who donated, THANK YOU for helping us complete this commandment this Purim season.
Lastly, we had our students make Mishloach Manot for their families by having a rainbow candy bar in each classroom. Many of our students are talking about their colors in Hebrew so the rainbow colors were a hit! We also talked about the word for rainbow in Hebrew, KESHET(קֶשֶׁת, KEH-shet). Everyone was sent home with Hamantashen to end our fun Purim celebration!
I hope you all had a joyous Purim celebration!
Please also don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. We still have several families who have not signed up yet.We especially need more help the last two Sundays in March! To fulfill your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
What is Coming Up?
-Sunday, March 27- Prospective Family Open House Do you know a family that may be intersted in joining our Adat Reyim Religious School community with a child in Kindergarten-7th grade in Fall 2022? If so, please invite them to our Open House on Sunday, March 27th. Please see the flyer below.
-Wednesday, April 13- In-Person Passover Family Program (K-7th) On Wednesday, April 13 we will be having an in-person Passover family engagement program. Students, parents, and siblings are invited! We are thrilled to welcome our families back to our programs in the religious school! Please save the date for this evening. More details to come soon!
Upcoming Schedule:
Saturday, March 19- Sam Geller-Cheney Bar Mitzvah! Mazel Tov, Sam! Sunday, March 20- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, March 23- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Saturday, March 26- Amira Ende-Alonzo Bat Mitzvah! Mazel Tov, Amira! Sunday, March 27- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM); Open House (9:00 AM) Wednesay, March 30- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM)
See below for more important dates. Please reach out with any questions. Have a wonderful weekend and very restful Shabbat.
Please don't forget that it is daylight savings this Sunday, March 13th so please adjust your clocks appropriately.
What is Coming Up?
- PURIM! PURIM! PURIM! *Sunday March 13 10:00-11:30 AM. - All students (K-6th grade) are invited to a Purim Extravaganza! Come in your best costume and be ready for a morning full of Purim activities, a special "A Seuss-shan Purim!" spiel just for our students led by the actors of our congregational spiel, and we can't forget the Hamantashen!
After making their kit-matanot l'evyonim (a commandment to give to those who are in need for Purim), students will be coming home with a ziplock bag filled travel size toiletries and other items. When you are driving around our local community and you see a homeless person, please feel free to give them your "Blessing Bag."
*Wednesday, March 16 at 5:30 PM- In lieu of classes and minyan, ALL families (K-7th) will be asked to attend our virtual children's Purim program and megillah reading. Wear your costumes and get ready to make noise!There will be a costume parade and contest with prizes! A special fly-in will be made by Super LefkoMan! Guests are welcome! Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89979445842
Please also don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. We still have several families who have not signed up yet.We especially need more help in March! This will include checking that every parent has filled out their health questionnaire, managing traffic, etc. To fulfill your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
-Sunday, March 27- Prospective Family Open House Do you know a family that may be intersted in joining our Adat Reyim Religious School community with a child in Kindergarten-7th grade in Fall 2022? If so, please invite them to our Open House on Sunday, March 27th. Please see the flyer below.
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, March 13-PURIM EXTRAVAGANZA! Kindergarten-6th (10:00-11:30 AM) Wednesday, March 16- Kindergarten-7th Virtual Purim Program and Megillah Reading (5:30 PM); No classes and no minyan Sunday, March 20- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, March 23- Religious School 3rd-6th (5:30-7:10 PM)
See below for more important dates. Please reach out with any questions. Have a wonderful weekend and very restful Shabbat.
Chag Purim Sameach (Happy Purim) and Shabbat Shalom, Leah
Dear Parents: We would like you to consider volunteering on a Saturday/Shabbat morning to usher and greet our congregants during upcoming Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Only one parent per family needs to volunteer for the date chosen. Congregants typically consider this function as an honor. Ushers will assist guests to their seats as needed, distribute prayer books, Bibles, and maintain decorum. Greeters will monitor front door access, welcome congregants and guests, and direct them to the sanctuary. Thanks in advance! L'shalom, Your friends at Adat Reyim
Hebrew instruction at Adat Reyim has evolved significantly between March 2020 and today. We have moved from 100% in-person to 100% online. Our teachers proved to be creative and flexible in finishing the 2020 school year supporting our students. In fall of 2020 we moved to Shalom Learning and used the Hebrew Curriculum available in their online learning platforms. After a long and heartfelt search, we hired Leah Miller as our new Religious Education Director. In hiring Leah, we identified a leader who is committed to making our Hebrew curriculum more accessible, effective and successful for all our students.
During these last two years we have taken the time to re-examine our Hebrew program. Specifically, we have received feedback from some of our parents regarding their concerns about their children’s progress in learning Hebrew during this time. We have heard those concerns, and we are being proactive in planning to revise the instructional delivery of our Hebrew program.
This school year, we have moved forward with a new, pilot Hebrew program for our current 3rd and 4th grade students, taught by Melanie Berman (Morah Malka). During this pilot, we have seen significant and measurable success in our students’ Hebrew learning. Our 3rd and 4th grade students have been split into small groups by Hebrew level, not by grade. In small groups, teachers can better focus on individual student’s learning style, making effective changes in content, and deciding the pacing that is most appropriate for each student. We have seen great successes this year in which we see these students working one-on-one with their teacher, working ahead by choice, and having fun learning Hebrew. Small groups are proving successful!
Parents have shared their children’s successful experiences (below):
“Prior to coming to the religious school, we were a Jewish Day School family. I figured it would be a challenge to meet the needs of my daughter. At the beginning of the year when the class was all together, she was fairly miserable. There was such a wide range of prior knowledge that it would have been very difficult to meet everyone's needs. …splitting up the class into smaller groups, we were thrilled. I wasn't sure how much would be able to be accomplished in the smaller time period, but I figured instruction at different levels was much more important than amounts of time. Morah Malkah talked with us about our goals for Hebrew as well as Navah's interests for the class. My daughter reports that she enjoys class now, which is something that we had hoped could happen. Thank you for making this change!” -Talya Schultz, parent of current 2nd and 4th grader
“My daughter is a kiddo who thrives on connection and learns best when she feels seen. She is not unique in that need, and without it she can truly struggle. Both her dad and I value Religious School not only as a means of learning Hebrew, Jewish Culture and Values but also as an opportunity to build her Jewish Community and Identity. Learning online for the majority of her time at Adat Reyim has impacted both goals and as parents had us concerned about how to help our kiddo create connections that would foster learning. Morah Melanie (Malka) has done just that in her small group Hebrew learning on Wednesday evenings. My daughter has grown tremendously in the last few months in her skills and (even more importantly to her dad and I) in her willingness, desire, excitement and motivation to learn and participate. The small group/leveled learning has not only tempered some of our concerns about the ongoing impact of online learning but has also shown to be incredibly effective at building my kid’s Hebrew Language skills. We feel that this experience has been a positive turning point for our kiddo and her Jewish education.” -Nicole Halpern, parent of current 3rd grader
Following this successful pilot, we are in the process of initiating making this change for our school’s Hebrew program. This would include the following changes for next school year:
- Students in grades 3-6 will be assessed at the beginning of the year to be placed in their small groups; that assessment will continue throughout the school year to make sure they continue in the group most appropriate for their level - The ratio of Hebrew groups would be anywhere from 1:2 to 1:4, teacher to student (based on staff availability) - Shorter amount of mid-week Hebrew instruction; focusing more on individualized instruction and attention to each student's learning needs.
Ultimately, we want all our religious school students to be successful and have a meaningful and positive, Jewish experience. We continue to be devoted to making sure that each of our students becomes a competent and successful Hebrew learner. These changes will get us closer to that goal.
We continue to invite your feedback. Please use the Google form below to send us your feedback about your child’s experience in our Hebrew program this year. Feedback form:https://forms.gle/ose8DxPW3sU7o2SE9
We will have more detailed information about our Hebrew program for next year soon; so stay tuned! We are excited for the possibilities. Parents are always welcome to join the AR Religious School Committee. We meet on the 1st Tuesday every month; if you are interested in joining us, please reach out to Leah, Steve, or Jess.
Warmly, Leah Miller, Religious Education Director Jessica Schwab and Steve Adleberg, Religious School Committee Co-chairs
- PURIM! PURIM! PURIM! *Sunday March 13- All students (K-6th grade) are invited to a Purim Extravaganza! Come in your best costume and be ready for a morning full of Purim activities, a special spiel just for our students led by the actors of our congregational spiel, and we can't forget the Hamantashen! 10:00-11:30 AM. Please help us fulfil the mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim, a commandment to give to those who are in need, this Purim. We will be collecting NEW, TRAVEL SIZE feminine hygiene products, tooth brushes and tooth paste, body soap, tissue packets, socks, and sunscreen to make homeless kits for our local homeless community on Sunday, the 13th. There will be a bin outside for drop off and pick up this Sunday. Please drop off before Friday, March 11!
*Wednesday, March 16- In lieu of classes and minyan, ALL families (K-7th) will be asked to attend our virtual children's Purim program and megillah reading. Wear your costumes and get ready to make noise!There will be a costume parade and contest with prizes! A special fly-in will be made by Super LefkoMan! Guests are welcome! A zoom link will be sent out next week. Begins at 5:30 PM.
- Please Help Us with the Carpool Pick-Up and Drop Off Procedures: Just a friendly reminder: *Please pull all the way up to the corner of the driveway so that we can serve several cars at once. *Please put a piece of paper with their children’s last name and grades in the windshield in big, bold letters, to avoid the need to roll down the windshield and make inquiries.
Please also don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. We still have several families who have not signed up yet.We especially need more help in March! This will include checking that every parent has filled out their health questionnaire, managing traffic, etc. To fulfill your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
-Sunday, March 27- Prospective Family Open House Do you know a family that may be intersted in joining our Adat Reyim Religious School community with a child in Kindergarten-7th grade in Fall 2022? If so, please invite them to our Open House on Sunday, March 27th. Please see the flyer below.
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, March 6- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, March 9- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, March 13- PURIM EXTRAVAGANZA! K-6th (10:00-11:30 AM) Wednesday, March 16- K-7th Virtual Purim Program and Megillah Reading (5:30 PM); No classes Sunday, March 20- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM)
See below for more important dates. Please reach out with any questions. Have a wonderful weekend and very restful Shabbat.
Dear Parents: We would like you to consider volunteering on a Saturday/Shabbat morning to usher and greet our congregants during upcoming Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. Only one parent per family needs to volunteer for the date chosen. Congregants typically consider this function as an honor. Ushers will assist guests to their seats as needed, distribute prayer books, Bibles, and maintain decorum. Greeters will monitor front door access, welcome congregants and guests, and direct them to the sanctuary. Thanks in advance! L'shalom, Your friends at Adat Reyim
I wanted to first thank all of you who sent me kind messages welcoming me back from my time off. Thank you also to Jess Schwab, Steve Adleberg, Carolyn Amacher, Jennifer Winner and Sara Astrow for filling in for me over the past few weeks. I am thrilled to be back and just in time for so many wonderful programs coming up!
What is Coming Up?
- 6th & 7th Grade Field Trip to Virginia Holocaust Museum This Sunday 2-27: Families who RSVP'd were sent an email with detials for the trip last night. Please review it and let me, Moreh Glenn, or Moreh Larry know if you have any questions.
- Mid-Year Progress Reports: Everyone should have received an email from me yesterday with your child's mid-year progress reports. All of the teachers were CC'd to those emails as well. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher or to me.
- Please Help Us with the Carpool Pick-Up and Drop Off Procedures: We have noticed that the line at drop off is getting long and slow over the last few weeks. Our carpool procedures have been slipping. Please follow these procedures to help all families have efficient drop-off and pick-up:
*Please pull all the way up to the corner of the driveway so that we can serve several cars at once. *Please put a piece of paper with their children’s last name and grades in the windshield in big, bold letters, to avoid the need to roll down the windshield and make inquiries.
Please also don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. We still have several families who have not signed up yet. We especially need more help in March! This will include checking that every parent has filled out their health questionnaire, managing traffic, etc. To fulfill your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
PURIM AT ADAT REYIM RELIGIOUS SCHOOL!!! *Sunday March 13- All students (K-7th grade) are invited to a Purim Extravaganza! Come in your best costume and be ready for a morning full of Purim activities, a special spiel just for our students, and lot of fun! Begininng at 10:00 AM! More details to come soon... Please help us fulfil the mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim, a commandment to give to those who are in need, this Purim. We will be collecting NEW, TRAVEL SIZE personal hygiene products, tooth brushes and tooth paste, body soap, tissue packets, socks, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, and lip balm to make homeless kits for our local homeless community on Sunday, the 13th. An email will be going out to the congregation with details when to drop off. You can start collecting now and we will begin drop off soon!
*Wednesday, March 16- After careful consideration, we have decided to NOT have minyan or classes that day. In lieu of classes and minyan, ALL families (K-7th) will be asked to attend our virtual children's Purim program and megillah reading. Wear your costumes and get ready to make noise! There will be a costume parade and contest with prizes! A special fly-in will be made by Super LefkoMan! Guests are welcome! More details about that program will be coming out next week.
-Sunday, March 27- Prospective Family Open House Do you know a family that may be intersted in joining our Adat Reyim Religious School community with a child in Kindergarten-7th grade in Fall 2022? If so, please invite them to our Open House on Sunday, March 27th. A flyer will be coming out next week with more details and a time.
Please reach out with any questions. Have a wonderful weekend and very restful Shabbat.
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, February 27- Religious School K-5th (9:00-11:15 AM); 6th-7th Field Trip Wednesday, March 2- Religious School 3rd-6th (5:30-7:10 PM); 7th- No class Sunday, March 6- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, March 9 - Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM)
Thank you so much to all of our students for participating in our Mitzvah Day on Sunday. It was a wonderful weekend and we were so happy to celebrate Rabbi Glazer's installation together as a school community. I will post a few pictures below of the activities we participated in. And a BIG thank you to those of you who donated funds in honor of Mitzvah Day. We could not have done any of it without you!
I did want to let you all know that I will be taking some much needed time off beginning this Shabbat. I will officially be out of the office from February 5-February 19. I will not be responding to emails or messages on Remind during this time. Luckily, our amazing staff members Sara Astrow and Carolyn Amacher will be on-site during the two Sunday morning's that I will not be present for. As will our religious school committee co-chair Jessica Schwab. If you need anything while I am out, please reach out to our Executive Director, Carolyn Amacher, at execdirector@adatreyim.org or at 703-569-7577.
If your child, or anyone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or has had a known exposure, please notify me (or Carolyn) ASAP. Please also remember if you or anyone in your household has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days, you cannot return to school unil your quarentine is over.
Please don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. We especially need more help in February and March! This will include checking that every parent has filled out their health questionnaire, managing traffic, etc. To fulfill your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat Those who have signed up for the next two Sundays (6th & 13th) will be receiving an email from me later today with instructions.
6th & 7th grade families: An email went out yesterday with details for your February 27th field trip to the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Please make sure you RSVP by February 20th by clicking here.
Lastly, as the month of February is now upon us, our teachers are currently in the process of writing mid-year progress reports. Progress reports will be emailed out for each child after President's Day weekend.
I look forward to seeing you all when I return in a few weeks. Have a wonderful weekend and very restful Shabbat.
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, February 6- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) w/Ruach at 10:30 Wednesday, February 9- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, February 13- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, February 16- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, February 20- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL (President's Day Weekend)
Our big weekend has finally come! The Rabbi will officially be installed this weekend during our Shabbat morning service. Please join us on Zoom on Saturday morning to watch this beatiful, meaningful ceremony. Information on how to join the Zoom can be found on our website.
1. Along with the installation, our religious school students will be participating in a Mitzvah Day in celebration of the Rabbi's installation. Mitzvah Day will be occurring during our regular school hours of 9:00-11:15 AM. Last call to donate a suggested amount of $18 or $36 per child for Mitzvah Day in honor of the installation. Please send all donations to the following virtual payment methods:
- Please make sure your child is wearing a well-fitting mask with a nose clip when we come back on Sunday morning. We highly recommend the KN95 masks that seem to best fit all face types. (Cloth masks are the least preferred, but we understand every child has a differently shaped face and sometimes cloth masks are the only option because they are the only masks that work.) You can also send your child to school double-masked, which we recommend.
- If your children have been in situations over the winter break or over the last few weeks that are considered risky such as travel or exposure to unvaccinated people, or to people whose vaccination status you do not know, then we recommend that you test your child before sending them back to religious school, if you are able. PCR tests are the most sensitive and are considered the gold standard. Rapid antigen tests (especially two tests given 24 hours apart) let you know if one is actively infectious. If your child, or anyone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or has had a known exposure, please notify me ASAP. Please also remember if you or anyone in your household has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days, you cannot come back to school unil your quarentine is over.
2. Please remember that all children, ages 5 and up, who wish to attend in person on Sundays should have already sent me proof of their first vaccination by January 7th. To provide documentation of your child receiving their vaccines, please send a picture of your child’s vaccination card to Leah at eddirector@adatreyim.org. Proof of receiving their second shot by TOMORROW, January 29, 2022 can also be sent to the same email address.
3. Please don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. We especially need more help in February! This will include checking that every parent has filled out their health questionnaire, managing traffic, etc. To fulfill your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, January 30- Religious School In-Person Mitzvah Day K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, February 2- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, February 6- Religious School K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, February 9- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM)
As always, please reach out with questions at anytime. Have a wonderful weekend!
Here are few updates below. Please remember there is no school this Sunday, January 23rd. Our staff and Madrichim will be participating in a professional day of learning together.
1. We have officially decided that next Sunday, January 30th, which is our Mitzvah Day in celebration of Rabbi Glazer's installation, WILL BE IN-PERSON.
- Please make sure your child is wearing a well-fitting mask with a nose clip when we come back on the 30th. We highly recommend the KN95 masks that seem to best fit all face types. (Cloth masks are the least preferred, but we understand every child has a differently shaped face and sometimes cloth masks are the only option because they are the only masks that work.) You can also send your child to school double-masked, which we recommend.
- If your children have been in situations over the winter break or over the next few weeks that are considered risky such as travel or exposure to unvaccinated people, or to people whose vaccination status you do not know, then we recommend that you test your child before sending them back to religious school, if you are able. PCR tests are the most sensitive and are considered the gold standard. Rapid antigen tests (especially two tests given 24 hours apart) let you know if one is actively infectious. If your child, or anyone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or has had a known exposure, please notify me ASAP. Please also remember if you or anyone in your household has tested positive for COVID in the last 10 days, you cannot come back to school unil your quarentine is over.
2. Please remember that all children, ages 5 and up, who wish to attend in person on Sundays should have already sent me proof of their first vaccination by January 7th. To provide documentation of your child receiving their vaccines, please send a picture of your child’s vaccination card to Leah at eddirector@adatreyim.org. Proof of receiving their second shot by January 29, 2022 can also be sent to the same email address.
3. Sunday, January 30th the religious school is participating in a school-wide Mitzvah Day, in celebration of Rabbi Glazer's installation. Our students will be doing many projects on that Sunday to help local organizations and we need YOUR help! We are asking families to donate (a suggested amount of $18 per child) to go towards purchasing materials for Mitzvah Day in honor of the installation. Please send all donations to the following virtual payment methods:
4. Please don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. This will include checking that every parent has filled out their health questionnaire, managing traffic, etc. To fulfil your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
5. ATTENTION 7TH GRADERS: We would love to have our 7th graders there on that Sunday morning, January 30th, to help in the classrooms. They would be leaders for each project station as it is happening and would be helping to organize the project set up, and take down as well. The expected time being at the synagogue would be 10:00-11:30 AM. If your child is interested in participating on the 30th, please Leah Miller at eddirector@adatreyim.org and let me know by Wednesday, January 26.
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, January 23- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL- Staff & Madrichim Professional Development Wednesday, January 26- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 30- Religious School In-Person Mitzvah Day K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, February 2- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM)
As always, please reach out with questions at anytime. Have a wonderful weekend!
1. Our plans are still to come back to in-person classes on January 30th, which is our next in-person day of school. However, if we decide that additional Sundays need to move virtual learning, we will decide by the Sunday before and will send you a notification.
- Please make sure your child is wearing a well-fitting mask with a nose clip when we come back on the 30th. We highly recommend the KN95 masks that seem to best fit all face types. (Cloth masks are the least preferred, but we understand every child has a differently shaped face and sometimes cloth masks are the only option because they are the only masks that work.) You can also send your child to school double-masked, which we recommend.
- If your children have been in situations over the winter break or over the next few weeks that are considered risky such as travel or exposure to unvaccinated people, or to people whose vaccination status you do not know, then we recommend that you test your child before sending them back to religious school, if you are able. PCR tests are the most sensitive and are considered the gold standard. Rapid antigen tests (especially two tests given 24 hours apart) let you know if one is actively infectious. If your child, or anyone in your household tests positive for COVID-19 or has had a known exposure, please notify me ASAP.
2. Please remember that all children, ages 5 and up, who wish to attend in person on Sundays should have already sent me proof of their first vaccination by January 7th. To provide documentation of your child receiving their vaccines, please send a picture of your child’s vaccination card to Leah at eddirector@adatreyim.org. Proof of receiving their second shot by January 29, 2022 can also be sent to the same email address.
3. Sunday, January 30th the religious school is participating in a school-wide Mitzvah Day, in celebration of Rabbi Glazer's installation. Our students will be doing many projects on that Sunday to help local organizations and we need YOUR help! We are asking families to donate (a suggested amount of $18 per child) to go towards purchasing materials for Mitzvah Day in honor of the installation. Please send all donations to the following virtual payment methods:
4. Please don't forget to sign up for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. This will include checking that every parent has filled out their health questionnaire, managing traffic, etc. To fulfil your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
Upcoming Schedule (see below for upcoming congregational events):
Sunday, January 16- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL- MLK Holiday Weekend Wednesday, January 19- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 23- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL- Staff & Madrichim Professional Development Wednesday, January 26- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 30- Religious School In-Person Mitzvah Day K-6th (9:00-11:15 AM)
As always, please reach out with questions at anytime. Have a wonderful weekend!
Some families were reporting that they could not see the links below. Please reach out if you are still unable to view the Zoom links. Shulcloud may be having issues tonight.
Below you will find the Zoom links for this Sunday, January 9th. As a reminder the schedule for the morning is:
Ruach: 9:15-9:45 AM (K-7th Grade) Break: 9:45-10:00 AM Classes: 10:00-11:15 AM (K-6th Grade)
For those of you who have not experienced our virtual classes on Wednesday evenings, please review our virtual learning policies:
To see our virtual learning policies, please review:
1. I agree to sign on in a timely fashion. If I know I will be late, I will do my best to notify my teacher in advance. 2. I agree to participate in my Zoom meetings with my camera ON when possible. 3. I agree to maintain the mute/unmute feature as directed by the teacher. 4. I agree to Zoom while sitting in a non-reclining position. 5. I agree to actively participate in the virtual learning in a respectful manner. 6. I agree to identify myself with the correct name on the video screen. *Students are encouraged to include their preferred pronouns they would like all students and staff to use. 7. I agree to refrain from using a virtual background. 8. I agree to not to use private chat on Zoom, unless instructed to by the teacher. 9. If I am assigned to a break-out room I will act responsibly and appropriately. 10. When given permission to write on the virtual white board, I will only write what is asked of me. 11. I will be courteous at all times and I will not disrupt or interfere with the learning of others or the operation of the virtual class.
Sunday, January 30th the religious school is participating in a school-wide Mitzvah Day, in celebration of Rabbi Glazer's installation. Our students will be doing many projects on that Sunday to help local organizations and we need YOUR help! We are asking families to donate (a suggested amount of $18 per child) to go towards purchasing materials for Mitzvah Day in honor of the installation. Please send all donations by Sunday, January 23 to the following virtual payment methods:
All children, ages 5 and up, who wish to attend in person on Sundays must have proof of receiving at least one shot by TOMORROW, January 7, 2022. To provide documentation of your child receiving their vaccines, please send a picture of your child’s vaccination card to Leah at eddirector@adatreyim.org . Proof of receiving their second shot by January 29, 2022 can also be sent to the same email address.
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, January 9- Virtual Religous School K-6th (9:15-11:15 AM) Wednesday, January 12- Religous School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 16- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL- MLK Holiday Weekend Wednesday, January 19- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 23- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL- Staff & Madrichim Professional Development Wednesday, January 26- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 30- Religious School In-Person Mitzvah Day (9:00-11:15 AM)
Below you will find the Zoom links for this Sunday, January 9th. As a reminder the schedule for the morning is:
Ruach: 9:15-9:45 AM (K-7th Grade) Break: 9:45-10:00 AM Classes: 10:00-11:15 AM (K-6th Grade)
For those of you who have not experienced our virtual classes on Wednesday evenings, please review our virtual learning policies:
To see our virtual learning policies, please review:
1. I agree to sign on in a timely fashion. If I know I will be late, I will do my best to notify my teacher in advance. 2. I agree to participate in my Zoom meetings with my camera ON when possible. 3. I agree to maintain the mute/unmute feature as directed by the teacher. 4. I agree to Zoom while sitting in a non-reclining position. 5. I agree to actively participate in the virtual learning in a respectful manner. 6. I agree to identify myself with the correct name on the video screen. *Students are encouraged to include their preferred pronouns they would like all students and staff to use. 7. I agree to refrain from using a virtual background. 8. I agree to not to use private chat on Zoom, unless instructed to by the teacher. 9. If I am assigned to a break-out room I will act responsibly and appropriately. 10. When given permission to write on the virtual white board, I will only write what is asked of me. 11. I will be courteous at all times and I will not disrupt or interfere with the learning of others or the operation of the virtual class.
I hope you all have had a happy and healthy winter break! Last night, I sent out a message on Remind announcing that we are closed tonight and will not be having virtual classes. We will continue with our policy that we follow FCPS.
Below I have some very important announcements regarding this Sunday and the upcoming weeks.
1. Out of an abundance of caution and the rising positive COVID numbers in our community, this Sunday, January 9th, we will not have in-person classes. Our Kindergarten-6th grade classes will be virtual. You will receive a separate email tomorrow with the Zoom links. Please find the virtual schedule for this Sunday below:
Ruach: 9:15-9:45 AM Break: 9:45-10:00 AM Classes: 10:00-11:15 AM
- Our plans are to come back to in-person classes on January 30th, which is our next in-person day of school. However, we will keep you all up to date if any changes up. If you signed up for pick-up/drop off this Sunday, please choose another date on the sign up genius. If you have not signed up yet, please do that as well. You can sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094faaae2da5fd0-adat
- Please make sure your child is wearing a well-fitting mask with a nose clip when we come back on the 30th. We highly recommend the KN95 masks that seem to best fit all face types. (Cloth masks are the least preferred, but we understand every child has a differently shaped face and sometimes cloth masks are the only option because they are the only masks that work.) You can also send your child to school double-masked, which we recommend.
- If your children have been in situations over the winter break or over the next few weeks that are considered risky such as travel or exposure to unvaccinated people, or to people whose vaccination status you do not know, then we recommend that you test your child before sending them back to religious school, if you are able. PCR tests are the most sensitive and are considered the gold standard. Rapid antigen tests (especially two tests given 24 hours apart) let you know if one is actively infectious.
2. Please remember that all children, ages 5 and up, who wish to attend in person on Sundays must have proof of receiving at least one shot by this Friday, January 7, 2022. To provide documentation of your child receiving their vaccines, please send a picture of your child’s vaccination card to Leah at eddirector@adatreyim.org. Proof of receiving their second shot by January 29, 2022 can also be sent to the same email address.
3. Sunday, January 30th the religious school is participating in a school-wide Mitzvah Day, in celebration of Rabbi Glazer's installation. Our students will be doing many projects on that Sunday to help local organizations and we need YOUR help! We are asking families to donate (a suggested amount of $18 per child) to go towards purchasing materials for Mitzvah Day in honor of the installation. Please send all donations to the following virtual payment methods:
4. Lastly, our religious school calendar has grade Shabbats scheduled for January and February. As of right now, we will need to postpone those dates to later in the Spring. Please be on the lookout for information regarding a new date in the coming weeks. We are hoping to reschedule these Shabbats later in the school year so we can be outside and in a larger group within our community.
The religious school will continue to follow our COVID safety policies when in person at the synagogue including social distancing, cleaning, and mask wearing. We will also continue to implement our COVID questionnaire every morning before school.
I know these are extremely hard times and I truly appreciate your patience as we navigate the current situation. We will get through this together as one community. Please reach out if you have any questions
Upcoming Schedule:
Wednesday, January 5- NO VIRTUAL RELIGIOUS SCHOOL- FCPS CLOSED Sunday, January 9- Virtual Religous School K-6th (9:15-11:15 AM) Wednesday, January 12- Religous School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 16- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL- MLK Holiday Weekend Wednesday, January 19- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 23- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL- Staff & Madrichim Professional Development Wednesday, January 26- Religious School 3rd-7th (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 30- Religious School In-Person Mitzvah Day (9:00-11:15 AM)
If you did not have a chance to see the email that went out last week, please take a look at it below.
The Adat Reyim office will be closed from December 24th-January 2nd. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe winter break and we look forward to seeing you all back in school on Wednesday, January 5th!
Congregation Adat Reyim is committed to the health and safety of all members of our congregation. We’re all thrilled to receive the news that the CDC approved the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11. As you have heard from us, our executive committee, and our reopening committee, “pikuach nefesh” (saving a life) has been the most important factor in AR’s planning during the pandemic. Thus Far, we have honored this value in our congregation by requiring all who attend programming in the building, other than our religious school, to be fully vaccinated. With this new age group now approved for the vaccine and the cold weather already upon us, we have the opportunity to increase the safety for AR’s entire community of learners, while also protecting our own children and ourselves.
Therefore, the Adat Reyim Religious School will soon be requiring all in-person students to be fully vaccinated if they are in the eligible age group (currently 5 and up). All children, ages 5 and up, who wish to attend in person on Sundays must have proof of receiving at least one shot by January 7, 2022 AND proof of receiving their second shot by January 29, 2022. This will also include our teens in the BMitzvah class, Confirmation Class, and Teen Program.
If you have a medical reason or extenuating circumstance that prevents your child from being vaccinated by those January dates, please contact Leah Miller directly to discuss it on a case by case basis. To provide documentation of your child receiving their vaccines, please send a picture of your child’s vaccination card to Leah at eddirector@adatreyim.org .
Thank you for your cooperation and partnership in helping to keep our children and our entire AR learning community healthy and continuing their Jewish education in a safe and welcoming environment for all.
Shabbat Shalom,
Leah Miller, Religious Education Director Steve Adleberg & Jessica Schwab, Religious School Committee Co-Chairs
Upcoming Schedule:
December 19-January 2 No Religious School (WINTER BREAK) Wednesday, January 5- Religious School (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, January 9- Religous School (9:00-11:15 AM) & 6th -7th Grade Field Trip
Congregation Adat Reyim is committed to the health and safety of all members of our congregation. We’re all thrilled to receive the news that the CDC approved the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11. As you have heard from us, our executive committee, and our reopening committee, “pikuach nefesh” (saving a life) has been the most important factor in AR’s planning during the pandemic. Thus Far, we have honored this value in our congregation by requiring all who attend programming in the building, other than our religious school, to be fully vaccinated. With this new age group now approved for the vaccine and the cold weather already upon us, we have the opportunity to increase the safety for AR’s entire community of learners, while also protecting our own children and ourselves.
Therefore, the Adat Reyim Religious School will soon be requiring all in-person students to be fully vaccinated if they are in the eligible age group (currently 5 and up). All children, ages 5 and up, who wish to attend in person on Sundays must have proof of receiving at least one shot by January 7, 2022 AND proof of receiving their second shot by January 29, 2022. This will also include our teens in the BMitzvah class, Confirmation Class, and Teen Program.
If you have a medical reason or extenuating circumstance that prevents your child from being vaccinated by those January dates, please contact Leah Miller directly to discuss it on a case by case basis. To provide documentation of your child receiving their vaccines, please send a picture of your child’s vaccination card to Leah at eddirector@adatreyim.org .
Thank you for your cooperation and partnership in helping to keep our children and our entire AR learning community healthy and continuing their Jewish education in a safe and welcoming environment for all.
Shabbat Shalom,
Leah Miller, Religious Education Director Steve Adleberg & Jessica Schwab, Religious School Committee Co-Chairs
**A note about religious school this Sunday, December 12--we have Ruach on Sunday morning and it will be outdoors. Please make sure your child is properly dressed for it.**
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, December 12- Religious School (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, December 15- Religious School (5:30-7:10 PM) December 19-January 2 No Religious School (WINTER BREAK) Wednesday, January 5- Religious School (5:30-7:10 PM)
RSVP'S ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE BY TOMORROW, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2ND. To RSVP, please click here!
THE ADAT REYIM RELIGIOUS SCHOOL HANUKKAH SCAVENGER HUNT!
You are invited to our Family Hanukkah Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, December 5th. After you RSVP, each family will receive an email from me with a time slot, some time between 9:30-11:30 AM, for you to start your scavenger hunt. The first stop is at Adat Reyim and at each location you will have a Hanukkah themed question to answer. After you have successfully answered the question as a family, you will receive a prize and the next address to drive to. The entire scavenger hunt is all within only a few miles and shouldn't take more than 1 hour to complete.
Masks are required at all times while at each location. All families are invited and are welcome to bring siblings as well! You will find some surprising guests you will recognize along the way so be on the look out for them!
If you have any questions, reply to this email or reach out to Leah Miller, at eddirector@adatreyim.org.
Upcoming Schedule:
Sunday, December 5- Family Hanukkah Scavenger Hunt (no classes) Wednesday, December 8- Religious School (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, December 12- Religious School (9:00-11:15 AM) Wednesday, December 15- Religious School (5:30-7:10 PM)
Join us in front of the synagogue for music, story-telling, glow sticks and sufganiyot. Be part of a "human menorah" as we join together with lights we'll provide.
***We will stream the program on Zoom so you can watch the festivities if you can't make it in person.***
IN CASE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, A DECISION WILL BE MADE BY 4 PM AND PROGRAM WILL BE ZOOM ONLY!
We welcome guests and members of the greater NOVA Jewish community.
THE ADAT REYIM RELIGIOUS SCHOOL HANUKKAH SCAVENGER HUNT!
You are invited to our Family Hanukkah Scavenger Hunt on Sunday, December 5th. After you RSVP, each family will receive an email from me with a time slot, some time between 9:30-11:30 AM, for you to start your scavenger hunt. The first stop is at Adat Reyim and at each location you will have a Hanukkah themed question to answer. After you have successfully answered the question as a family, you will receive a prize and the next address to drive to. The entire scavenger hunt is all within only a few miles and shouldn't take more than 1-1.5 hours to complete.
Masks are required at all times while at each location. All families are invited and are welcome to bring siblings as well! You will find some surprising guests you will recognize along the way so be on the look out for them!
RSVP'S ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE BY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2ND. To RSVP, please click here!
If you have any questions, reply to this email or reach out to Leah Miller, at eddirector@adatreyim.org.
Upcoming Schedule: Wednesday, November 24- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL Sunday, November 28- NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL Wednesday, December 1- Religious School (5:30-7:10 PM) Sunday, December 5- Hanukkah Scavenger Hunt (no classes) Wednesday, December 8- Religious School (5:30-7:10 PM)
Save the Date: Religious School Hanukkah Family Scavenger Hunt December 5th 9:30 AM-12:00 PM More details to come in an email next week! Parents and siblings included.
Religious School Fundraiser- November 14th Last day of photoshoots is this Sunday! There are a few spots left so don't forget to sign up today! Just in time for Chanukah cards!The religious school is hosting a family photoshoot fundraiser on November 7th and November 14th at the synagogue. Proceeds from the event will go towards the religious school. The sitting fee is FREE! You’ll only pay for the photos you purchase, and you’ll receive your pictures within 3-5 days. Congregants can send the flyer/link to sign up to their local friends and family too! It is not just for our congregation to participate in. To register, click here!
Parent Volunteers Needed- Pick Up & Drop Off Please don't forget to sign up ASAP for your minimum of three (3) Sundays throughout the school year to help with carpool pickup and drop off. This will include checking that every parent has filled out their health questionnaire, managing traffic, etc. To fulfil your requirement, please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805094FAAAE2DA5FD0-adat
Required Health Questionnaire Please remember, it is a requirement to attend school on Sunday mornings that you fill out a health questionnaire for every child. We will be checking our submissions before you leave after dropping off your child.Your child may not attend school if the questionnaire is not completed before drop off. You can find the health questionnaire here: https://www.adatreyim.org/form/RS-covid-questions.html
Important Note- Ruach November 14th & December 12 Due to the cold weather, Ruach on November 14th will take place from 10:30-11:00 AM. We have also postponed the December Ruach that was originally scheduled to December 5th. It will now take place on December 12th, also from 10:30-11:00 AM.
MAZEL TOV To Aaron Helmer on his Bar Mitzvah tomorrow!! Upcoming Schedule: Saturday, November 13- Aaron Helmer's Bar Mitzvah! Sunday, November 14- Religious School 9:00-11:15 AM, RS Photo Fundraiser, & Hanukkah Booth Wednesday, November 17- Religious School 5:30-7:10 PM Saturday, November 20- Samuel Gershenson Bar Mitzvah! Sunday, November 21- Religious School 9:00-11:15 AM & Hanukkah Booth
Our 7th Grade class having a fun Havdalah, pizza, and s'mores program last weekend with Morah Leah and Morah Caroline at the Schwab family home.
2021 will make 20 years for Team Adat Reyim! CROP Walk is an interfaith national effort to raise awareness and funds to fight hunger both locally and globally.
While there is no Burke area walk this year, let’s gather our family and friends for the first ever Adat Reyim Hunger Walk!
Date: Sunday, November 14, 2021 Place: Meet at Adat Reyim Parking Lot. We will walk on sidewalks near the synagogue and then enjoy refreshments in the parking lot. Time: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Length of walk: 2-2.5 miles Purpose: To help raise money for the many people in our area who are in need of food. To register, go to: https://events.crophungerwalk.org/2021/event/burkeva In the search box type "Congregation Adat Reyim '' and JOIN the Adat Reyim team. Don't forget to also click to DONATE! Contact: David Richter: (301)919-1013 or drichter985@gmail.com
If you don't walk you can still DONATE! If you prefer to send a check, please make it payable to CWS/CROP and mail to Earl Smith, CROP Walk Treasurer, at 7305 Reservation Drive, Springfield, VA 22153.
Save the Dates! Hannukah Booth Sundays, November 14 & 21 9 am until noon Adat Reyim parking lot
